Air New Zealand cuts more regional flights as fuel costs rise

By Andrew Curran

15.05 AEST. 01.05.26: Updated with input from Air New Zealand. 

Air New Zealand has implemented another round of cuts to its regional routes within New Zealand, with Nelson (NSN) and Tauranga (TRG) among the airports affected.

In late March, the airline announced it would cancel 1,100 mostly domestic flights between mid-March and early May 2026 to conserve fuel and reduce costs. Those cuts were later extended through to June. The latest reductions now push into July.

"Due to the ongoing impact of high jet fuel costs, Air New Zealand has made a small number of schedule changes for travel across July," a spokesperson told Aero South Pacific.

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith posted on Facebook yesterday, April 30, that between June 29 and July 26, Air New Zealand was cutting another 23 Nelson flights to and from Auckland (AKL), 32 to and from Wellington (WLG) and 15 to and from Christchurch (CHC). He said the cuts were a response to jet fuel price volatility.

“This is the third time Nelson flights to and from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch have been axed temporarily since the war in Iran started, bringing the total number of flights lost to 266, or about 12,000 seats,” Smith said.

“These latest cuts reduce seat capacity to Auckland by 8.7%, to Christchurch by 10.3%, and to Wellington by a significant 15.2% over the four-week period.”

Nelson and Tauranga among hardest hit

Located at the top of New Zealand’s South Island, Nelson is one of the country’s busiest regional airports, with links to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Paraparaumu Beach (PPQ). Both Air New Zealand and Sounds Air operate scheduled passenger flights to Nelson.

On peak days, Air New Zealand typically operates more than ten daily return flights to Auckland, eight to Wellington, and six to Christchurch.

Meanwhile, on the North Island, Tauranga will also see significant reductions. Between late June and late July, the airport will lose a combined 44 return flights to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, in addition to previously announced cuts.

According to Stuff, the airline will cancel 27 return flights to Auckland, primarily mid-morning and late evening weekday services. Twelve return flights on the Tauranga - Wellington route will also be cut, mainly late morning weekday flights, along with five flights on the Tauranga - Christchurch city-pair.

Like Nelson Airport, Tauranga is a busy regional hub. On peak days, it sees up to nine daily return flights to Auckland, five to Wellington and four to Christchurch. Air New Zealand operates ATR72-600 and DHC-8-Q300 aircraft to both airports.

Fuel costs driving capacity cuts

When announcing the initial reductions, Air New Zealand said it would target off-peak flights on high-frequency routes, allowing passengers to be rebooked with minimal disruption.

"These consolidations affect around 2% of passengers due to travel across this period," the spokesperson added. "We've targeted the consolidations to minimise disruption and to ensure that the vast majority of impacted customers can still travel on the same day."

As of April 2026, Air New Zealand’s daily jet fuel costs have more than doubled since the start of the Iran War, rising from around USD4 million to USD8.5 million. Approximately 80% of New Zealand’s jet fuel is shipped via the Strait of Hormuz.

Like many carriers, the airline is responding to rising costs by reducing capacity while increasing fares.

Photo: AI-Generated.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com